Telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck



1965 E. R. GARRISON 3,215,465

TELESCOPIC CAMPER FOR MOUNTING ON A PICK-UP TRUCK RN v H mo E m M h R MR .0 s m G T e A m y R 2 Filed Feb. 27. 1964 Nov. 2, 1965 E. R. GARRISON 3,215,465

TELESCOPIC CAMPER FOR MOUNTING ON A PICK-UP TRUCK Filed Feb. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,1 l .110. Iv z,

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INVENTOR.

E AR| R. GARRISON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,215,465 TELESCOPIC CAMPER FOR MOUNTING ON A PICK-UP TRUCK Earl R. Garrison, 1445 Bellevue Ave., Burlingame, Calif. Filed Feb. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 347,734 6 Claims. (Cl. 29623) The present invention relates to improvements in a telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck. It consists of the combinations, constructions, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

It is a Well known fact that campers have been provided for use on pick-up trucks in which a lower room section is mounted on the load-carrying platform of the truck, and an upper room section is telescopically arranged on the lower room section so that the upper section may be raised and lowered relative to the lower section. Thus the upper room section may be elevated so as to afford ample headroom for being Occupied, and the upper section may be lowered for travelling. In the latter position, a low center of gravity for the camper is provided and wind resistance will be reduced during travelling. However, the distance to which the upper room section may be lowered is limited by this section striking the sideboards of the truck, since the room sections project laterally beyond the sideboards.

Accordingly, and as the cardinal object of this invention, it is proposed to provide a telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck, and in which the upper room section may be lowered below the elevation normally permitted in this type of a camper. Thus the camper will have a still lower center of gravity; it will have less resistance to the wind when travelling; and the camper may be placed in a garage having a low ceiling.

Generally speaking, the upper room section of the camper is provided with a front wall, and a movable end panel is carried by this wall for being raised and lowered with respect to this wall. When the upper room section is raised for occupying, the end panel is lowered so as to form a closure between the front wall of the upper room section and a front wall of the lower room section. However, when the upper room section is lowered so that its front wall will come to rest on the sideboards of the truck, the movable end panel will be raised relative to the front wall of the upper room section. This will permit the upper room section to be lowered into a desired low position for travelling, storing, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a telescopic camper with a slidable end panel that is simple in construction, durable and efficient for the purpose intended.

Drawings For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a pick-up truck having my telescopic camper mounted thereon, the upper room section being disposed in a raised occupying position, and parts being shown in section;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but with the upper room section being fully lowered;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary isometric view of the sliding end panel.

While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

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Detailed description Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have disclosed a conventional pick-up truck indicated generally at A having a load-carrying platform 10 and spaced sideboards 11. Concaved wheel housings 12 have been shown for accommodating the wheels 13 of the truck.

It will be noted that a lower room section designated generally at B has a floored central portion 14 arranged for support on the load-carrying platform 10 and disposed between the wheel housings 12 (see FIGURES 2 and 4). This lower room section has laterally-extending side portions 15 overlying the sideboards 11, and this room section is formed with a front wall 16 arranged adjacent to the cab 17 of the pick-up truck.

Moreover, an upper room section C is telescopically arranged on the lower room section B and may be raised and lowered by any suitable means. The upper room section C is movable into raised position relative to the lower room section B, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, for occupying. Also, the upper room section may be moved into lowered position, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, for travelling.

The upper room section C has a front wall 18 projecting laterally beyond the sideboards 11, and a movable end panel D is carried by the front wall 18 of the upper room section C to extend transversely relative to the truck A and projecting laterally beyond the sideboards 11 (see FIGURES 2 and 4). This movable end panel provides a closure between the front walls of the lower and upper room sections, when the latter is raised into occupying position (see FIGURES l and 2).

As clearly shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, the end panel D is movable into engagement with the sideboards 11 when the upper room section C is lowered. The front wall 18 is movable into a still further lowered position for travelling while the end panel rests on the sideboards (see FIGURES 3 and 4) More specifically described, the end panel D is slidably mounted in a vertical guideway 19 provided in the front wall 18 of the upper room section C (see FIG- URES 1 and 3).

Stops 20 are secured to the upper room section C to engage with the end panel D to elevate this end panel when the upper room section is raised. However, these stops are spaced below the top edges 11a of the sideboards 11 when the front wall 18 of the upper room section C rests on the sideboards (see FIGURES 3 and 4).

In its structural details, the front wall 18 of the upper room section C has a recess 21 extending upwardly thereinto from its lower edge 22, and this recess is dimensioned to span across the width of the truck and to receive upper parts of the sideboards 11, when the upper room section is lowered into travelling position (see FIGURES 3 and I It will be apparent that the end panel D is movable into engagement with the sideboards 11 when the upper room .section C is lowered, and the front wall 18 of this section is movable into a still further lowered position due to the recess. 21 for travelling while the end panel rests on the sideboards (see FIGURE 4).

The stops 20 are secured to the upper room section C adjacent to the bottom thereof at locations laterally of the recess 21 (see FIGURES 2 and 4), and these stops are engageable with the end panel D to elevate the latter when this section is raised. The stops are spaced below the top edges 11a of the sideboards when the front wall 18 of the upper room section C rests on the sideboards and the latter are received in the recess 21 (see FIGURE 4).

The movable end panel D is preferably formed with a flange 23 extending along its lower edge, and this flange is arranged to abut a weather strip 24 secured to the top part of the front wall 16 of the lower room section B, when the upper room section C is fully raised (see FIG- URE 1). Also, the movable panel D may have an inner covering strip 25 fastened thereto that will match the inside front wall 26 of the upper room section (see FIG- URES 1, 3 and 5 of the drawings).

I claim:

1. A telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck, the latter defining a load-carrying platform and spaced sideboards, the camper comprising:

(a) a lower room section having a floored central portion arranged for support on the load-carrying platform, and having laterally-extending side portions overlying the sideboards;

(b) the lower room section having a front wall;

(c) an upper room section telescopically arranged on the lower room section;

(d) the upper room section being movable into raised position relative to the lower room section for occupying and into lowered position relative thereto for travelling;

(e) the upper room section having a front wall projecting laterally beyond the sideboards;

(f) and a movable end panel slidably mounted in a vertical quideway provided in the front wall of the upper room section to extend transversely relative to the truck and projecting laterally beyond the sideboards;

(g) the movable end panel being positioned for providing a closure between the front walls of the lower and upper sections, when the latter is raised into occupying position;

(h) and the end panel being movable into engagement with the sideboards when the upper room section is lowered, and the front wall of this section being movable into a still further lowered position for travelling while the end panel rests on the sideboards and slides upwardly relative to said guideway.

2. The telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck, as set forth in claim 1;

(i) and in which stops are secured to the upper room section to engage with the end panel to elevate the latter when this section is raised;

(j) these stops being spaced below the top edges of the sideboards when the front wall of the upper room section rests on the sideboards.

3. A telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck, the latter defining a load-carrying platform and spaced sideboards, the camper comprising:

(a) a lower room section having a floored central portion arranged for support on the load-carrying platform, and having laterally-extending side portions overlying the sideboards;

(b) the lower room section having a front wall;

(c) an upper room section telescopically arranged on the lower room section;

((1) the upper room section being movable into raised position relative to the lower room section for occupying and into lowered position relative thereto for travelling;

(e) the upper room section having a front wall projecting laterally beyond the sideboards;

(f) the front wall of the upper room section having a recess extending upwardly thereinto from its lower edge, and this recess being dimensioned to span ac o e width o the t ck and to re e e upper parts of the sideboards, when the upper room section is lowered into travelling position;

(g) and a movable end panel slidably mounted in a vertical guideway provided in the front wall of the upper room section;

(h) the movable end panel extending transversely relative to the truck and projecting laterally beyond the sideboards;

(i) the movable end panel being positioned for providing a closure between the front walls of the lower and upper room sections and covering the recess, when the upper room section is raised into occupying position;

(j) and the end panel being movable into engagement with the sideboards when the upper room section is lowered, and the front wall of this section being movable into a still further lowered position due to the recess for travelling while the end panel rests on the sideboards and slides upwardly relative to said guideway.

4. The telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck, as set forth in claim 3;

(k) and in which stops are secured to the upper room section adjacent to the bottom thereof at locations laterally of the recess, and these stops being engageable with the end panel to elevate the latter when this section is raised;

(1) the stops being spaced below the top edges of the sideboards when the front wall of the upper room section rests on the sideboards and the latter are received in the recess.

5. A telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-up truck having spaced sideboards, the camper comprising:

(a) a lower room section having a front wall;

(b) an upper room section telescopically arranged on the lower room section and being movable into raised position relative to the lower room section for occupying and into lowered position relative thereto for travelling;

(c) the upper room section having a front wall defining a vertical guideway extending upwardly thereinto from a lower edge of this wall;

(d) a movable end panel extending transversely relative to the upper room section to extend laterally beyond the sideboards and being slidably mounted in the guideway;

(e) the movable end panel being positioned for providing a closure between the front walls of the lower and upper room sections when the upper room section is raised into occupying position;

(f) and the movable end panel being slidable upwardly relative to the front wall of the upper room section when the latter is lowered relative to the lower room section into travelling position.

6. The telescopic camper for mounting on a pick-hp truck, as set forth in claim 5;

(g) and in which means are provided on the upper room section and engageable with the movable end panel to limit downward sliding movement of this panel relative to the upper room section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,862,759 12/58 Huth. 2,879,103 3/59 Hall.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner, 

1. A TELESCOPIC CAMPER FOR MOUNTING ON A PICK-UP TRUCK, THE LATTER DEFINING A LOAD-CARRYING PLATFORM AND SPACED SIDEBOARDS, THE CAMPER COMPRISING: (A) A LOWER ROOM SECTION HAVING A FLOORED CENTRAL PORTION ARRANGED FOR SUPPORT ON THE LOAD-CARRYING PLATFORM, AND HAVING LATERALLY-EXTENDING SIDE PORTIONS OVERLYING THE SIDEBOARDS; (B) THE LOWER ROOM SECTION HAVING A FRONT WALL; (C) AN UPPER ROOM SECTION TELESCOPICALLY ARRANGED ON THE LOWER ROOM SECTION; (D) THE UPPER ROOM SECTION BEING MOVABLE INTO RAISED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE LOWER ROOM SECTION FOR OCCUPYING AND INTO LOWERED POSITION RELATIVE THERETO FOR TRAVELLING; (E) THE UPPER ROOM SECTION HAVING A FRONT WALL PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND THE SIDEBOARDS; (F) AND A MOVABLE END PANEL SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN A VERTICAL QUIDEWAY PROVIDED IN THE FRONT WALL OF THE UPPER ROOM SECTION TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO THE TRUCK AND PROJECTING LATERALLY BEYOND THE SIDEBOARDS; (G) THE MOVABLE END PANEL BEING POSITIONED FOR PROVIDING A CLOSURE BETWEEN THE FRONT WALLS OF THE LOWER AND UPPER SECTIONS, WHEN THE LATTER IS RAISED INTO OCCUPYING POSITION; (H) AND THE END PANEL BEING MOVABLE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SIDEBOARDS WHEN THE UPPER ROOM SECTION IS LOWERED, AND THE FRONT WALL OF THIS SECTION BEING MOVABLE INTO A STILL FURTHER LOWERED POSITION FOR TRAVELLING WHILE THE END PANEL RESTS ON THE SIDEBOARDS AND SLIDES UPWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID GUIDEWAY. 